Using the Rectangle Tool
By JP Kabala
In our exploration of the new shape tools,
we started with the Ellipse, now it’s time to
move on to the Rectangle. You’ll probably
be pleased and surprised to learn about all
of the “un-boxy” shapes this new tool can
create. First we’ll examine the toolbar
options, and then we’ll do a project to
create a basic organizational chart using
the new vector object alignment and
distribution controls
What you’ll need:
Paint Shop™ Pro® 9
When you complete this tutorial,
you’ll be able to:
Use the new Rectangle Tool
Work with precision sizing, shaping, and positioning
Use the sizing, alignment and distribution commands
Set Rectangle Tool presets
Work with Strokes and Fills
Use the Layer Palette when working with shapes.
www.jasc.com
Using the Rectangle Tool
Introduction
If you would like to follow along as we look at the various Tool Option settings, open a new image 500 x
500 with a white raster background. It’s just easier to see the lines and nodes against a solid color than
against the checkerboard pattern. It will also help if you make sure the Layer Palette is visible
In order to work with the Rectangle Tool, first we have to find it. Like many other Paint Shop Pro 9 tools,
the Ellipse is nested with others of its kind in a group. In the default workspace, you’ll find that group
near the bottom of the Tools toolbar. The simple blue rectangle, ellipse, and star are your keys to a new
way to work with shapes. It should be noted that the technology for Preset Shapes has not changed, but
the icon has. Instead of the overlapping ellipse and rectangle used in Version 8, the icon for Preset
Shapes is now a blue callout.
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Using the Rectangle Tool
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When the Rectangle Tool is selected and the Tool Options Palette refreshes you’ll see groups of controls.
Don’t be concerned if some of the controls are “grayed out” on your screen right now. Many will be
unless there is a shape in active drawing or edit mode. Right now, we just want to establish an understanding of the effect of each of the controls.
Moving from left to right
■ Presets — It would be easy to confuse this Preset setting for these new shape tools with
a Preset Shape. Saving a preset here does not take the place of creating a Preset Shape.
Presets saved in the Rectangle Tool Options Palette save combinations of some of the
settings that can be made on the Tool Options Palette only. For the Rectangle this is
limited to Horizontal and Vertical Radius, Line Style and Width, Vector or Raster mode,
Anti-alias status, Join and Miter information. No information about the stroke or fill
materials, relative position on the canvas, or height or width information is stored in these
presets.
■ Apply (Checkmark) icon — New in Paint Shop Pro 9 – this is a procedural and
philosophical change from the way vectors were handled in Version 8, and as such should
be noted here. In Paint Shop Pro 8, you clicked the New icon when you wanted to start a
new vector object. In Paint Shop Pro 9, the New button is gone. Instead, the tool prepares
automatically to create a new object when it is activated, and assumes you are continuing
to work on that same object until you click the Apply icon when you are finished. This is a
better workflow and a logical change, but could be confusing to some users.
■ Mode—there are three possible modes for the Ellipse Tool:
Edit Mode (triangular icon): this permits you to make changes to an existing shape
Draw Rectangle: this permits you to create rectangular objects without proportional
restraints
Draw Square: this constrains the tool so that only perfect squares will be created.
■ Show Nodes — When this box is cleared, Paint Shop Pro 9 hides the adjustment handles
from view. When marked, the handles are visible
■ Create on Vector — When this box is marked, Paint Shop Pro 9 automatically creates a
new vector layer if needed. Unmarked, it will allow you to draw shapes on all types of
raster layers, including Background layers, Mask Layers, and Adjustment Layers. This last
feature makes things like shaped vignetting of photos easier than ever.
In an interesting and rather useful twist, however, you can uncheck the Create on Vector
and choose the Show Nodes option at the same time, allowing you to adjust your shape
in raster mode until the Apply icon is clicked. However, it should be noted that once
applied, this is no longer editable as a vector object would be.
Using the Rectangle Tool
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■ Horizontal and Vertical Radius — If right now you are wondering when rectangles
suddenly developed radii, don’t go scratching your head or pulling out your old Euclidean
Geometry textbook. The Paint Shop Pro 9 rectangle tool makes a lot more than boxes. For
the first time ever, Paint Shop Pro actually makes really good rounded rectangles! In the
past, these shapes were difficult to create, requiring a lot of fooling around and cutting,
pasting, and node editing. No more! If you don’t learn to appreciate the Rectangle Tool
for any other reason, this one new feature just might be enough to bring a real smile to
your face.
The Horizontal and Vertical Radius controls set the curvature of the corners of the shape,
transforming a squared-off rectangle to a file folder tab, a capsule, a web button, and
much more. Add an ellipse on top and some gradient fill, and you have 2-step vector
cylinders that are as useful as they are easy.
■ Left and Top — TThese represent the pixel value on the canvas where the upper left
corner of the rectangle rests. In the case of rounded rectangles, it represents the point
where the corner would rest, if the shape were perfectly straight on the edges.
■ Width and Height — These represent the pixel measurement of the shape on the
horizontal (width) and vertical (height) axes. Along with Left and Top, these controls allow
for real precision, even at a sub-pixel level.
■ Line Style — This controls the style of the outline or the stroke of the ellipse. A simple
solid line is the default. To choose a different style, open the drop-down list. To create a
new style of your own, choose the Custom option in the lower right corner.
■ Line Width — This controls the weight of the outline or stroke. To create a shape with no
outline, simply set the line width to 0
■ Anti-Alias — Anti-aliasing is a way for objects with curved lines made of square pixels to
appear smoother and less jagged.
Using the Rectangle Tool
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■ Miter and Join settings — I have no idea why these controls appear in the Ellipse Tool
options, as they refer to the handling of corners and Ellipses, by default, have no corners.
You can safely ignore them when you are working with elliptical objects.
A couple of other workflow notes:
■ When working with the Rectangle Tool or any shape, text, or line tool, the color, gradient,
pattern and/or texture in the Foreground swatch of the Materials Palette is applied to the
line or stroke (outline) of the object. The material in the Background is applied to the fill
areas.
■ Shapes and the Layer Palette—
Each time you create a new vector object, a separate line entry appears on the Layer
Palette. They are shown as a subset of the Vector layer.
Each individual object has its own visibility control (eye icon) to the right or the center bar
The list can be expanded or collapsed by clicking the +/- indicator to the left of the layer
name. In the illustration, I highlighted the spot with a bright green dot. This is a standard
Windows convention, and works exactly the same way the similar control in your file
system works.
The new shape tools all have their own icons the Layer Palette, and these correspond to
their toolbar icons.
■ Keep in mind that the properties for a shape object are not set until the Apply is marked.
Now that we’ve gone through the controls on the Tool Options Palette, let’s do a simple
project using the Rectangle Tool. We’re going to create an organizational chart, something busi
ness people, webmasters, and even club members and coaches of youth sports teams need to
do from time to time. While we’re at it, we’re also going to learn about the really useful resizing
and distribution tools that are now a part of the Object Selection tool’s Tool Options.
Using the Rectangle Tool
Create a New Image
1.
Open a new image, 640 x480. You can use the preset in the New Image dialog box, but clear
the mark next to Transparent and choose a color for your background. I’m going to use a light
tan color. HTML color code #EFCBA1.
2.
Select the Rectangle Tool from the Tools toolbar. When the Tool Options Palette refreshes, set
the following parameters:
■ Mode: Draw Rectangle
■ Show Nodes: Checked
■ Create on Vector: Checked
■ Horizontal and Vertical Radius: both 0
■ Line Style: Solid
■ Line Width: 6
■ Join: Rounded (it’s the one in the middle)
■ Anti-alias: Marked
3.
On the Materials Palette, place a dark brown color in the Background swatch and a lighter
brown in the Foreground swatch.
4.
Click and drag out a long, thin rectangle. Click Apply. If your Layer Palette is not visible, make it
visible now and expand the objects tree as shown.
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Using the Rectangle Tool
5.
On the Layer Palette, right-click the New Rectangle object and choose Rename. Change the
name to Banner.
6.
On the Materials Palette, change the background color to white. With the Rectangle Tool at the
same settings, drag out a smaller rectangle. Make sure that Show Nodes is marked. On the Tool
Options Palette, change the Width to 150 and the Height to 65 and click Apply.
7.
Switch to the Object Selection Tool by pressing the O key (the letter o, not zero). When the Tool
Options Palette refreshes, click the New Rectangle in the Layer Palette (there should be only
one, because you renamed the other Banner) and a bounding box with adjustment handles will
appear around your brown and white box. Click the shape and drag it up to a point just below
the Banner, release the mouse button. With the Object Selection Tool again, drag out a large
box that surrounds both the Banner and your New Rectangle. Do not deselect, but look at the
Tool Options Palette. There is a group of controls labeled Position on Canvas. Click the second
one from the left, which will cause both of the selected objects, the banner and the New
Rectangle, to be positioned in the horizontal center of the image. Click anywhere on the canvas
outside the marquee to release the selection.
8.
On the Layer Palette, click the New Rectangle again to make it active. Right-click and choose
Copy from the pop up menu. Right-click again, and choose Rename. Name this object
President.
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Using the Rectangle Tool
9.
Press Ctrl+G to paste the box as a new vector selection. Click anywhere on the screen to
release the object. Repeat this two more times. Still using the Object Selector Tool, drag them
roughly into place below the President box, as shown.
10. Drag a large box around all three New Rectangles with the Object Selector Tool. Notice that
there is a group of controls on the Tool Options Palette labeled Object Alignment. Click the first
icon on the left in this group to align the tops of all three rectangles precisely. Do not deselect.
Notice that there is a group of controls on the Tool Options Palette labeled Object Distribution.
Click the fourth icon from the left in this group to space all three rectangles evenly. Do not
deselect. Notice that there is an icon on the Tool Options Palette named Group. Click that icon.
Notice that the Layer Palette has changed, and the three New Rectangles have been combined
into a group, named Group 1. Do not deselect yet, but click the Horizontal Center icon again
(the second one from the left, under the label Position on Canvas) and the group of three boxes
is now perfectly aligned under the Banner and President rectangles. Click anywhere on the
canvas outside the marquee to release the selection.
11. On the Layer Palette, right-click Group 1 and choose Rename. Change the name of Group 1 to
VP.
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Using the Rectangle Tool
12.
Still on the Layer Palette, double-click VP, and a Vector Property box will open. Change the
Fill color to light beige, the Stroke Width to 3, and click OK. Paint Shop Pro 9 will automatically
change all three boxes at once.
13. On the Layer Palette, expand the tree beside VP to see the three New Rectangles inside. Click
any one of them, and press Ctrl+C to copy to the clipboard. Then Ctrl+G to paste it as a new
vector object. Click anywhere on the canvas to release it, but do not deselect. The bounding
box should still be surrounding your box.
14. Make the Rectangle Tool active again. When the Tool Options Palette refreshes, notice that this
time you are in Edit Mode (the white triangular arrow icon is engaged). On the Tool Options
Palette, change the Width to ✑✐✐, the Height to 40, and click Apply. Paint Shop Pro 9 will
resize your box.
15. Copy this new smaller box to the clipboard (Ctrl+C) and paste three more small boxes as new
vector objects, just as you did in Step 9.
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Using the Rectangle Tool
16. Repeat the procedure that you followed in Step 10 to align the tops of the boxes, distribute the
boxes evenly, group them, and center them. If you change the order of these steps, you will get
unexpected results. Ctrl+D to deselect when you are done.
We could go on adding more rows, but you can see the pattern now. Instead, let’s add some
text and I’ll show you how to make the simple cylinders above.
17. On the Material Palette, place a golden color in the Background swatch and choose the Text
Tool. Click once on the screen, well away from all the boxes. If you hover over the boxes,
Paint Shop Pro 9 will change the cursor to a Test on a Path curved arrow indicator. In the Text
Entry box, enter Brown Can Company. With the text box still open, go to the Tool Options
Palette and set your font size and type (I used Arial Black 28 point), and then click Apply.
Position the text as desired and Ctrl+D to deselect.
18. Make the Rectangle Tool active by pressing the G key. When the Tool Options Palette refreshes
set the parameters, as shown in the illustration. Do not set the Left, Top, Height or Width yet.
Overlapping the banner, drag out a shape. Now go back and adjust Left, Top, Height, and Width
as shown in the Tool Options Palette illustrated. Do not deselect or click Apply yet. On the
Materials Palette, change the Foreground to black and the Background to the Metal Chrome
gradient, Linear Style, 90-degree angle, one repeat. In the Tool Options Palette, decrease the
line width to 1 and click Apply.
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Using the Rectangle Tool
19. Make the Ellipse Tool active (it is nested with the rectangle). Reverse the Foreground and
Background colors in the Materials Palette by clicking the small curved arrow just to the left of
the background swatch. Drag out a small ellipse. Change the settings in the Tool Options Palette
to match those shown here and click Apply.
You’ll want, of course, to add names and titles to your chart, and dress it up a bit, but this is the
basic procedure. (A little texture to the background and some drop shadows on the boxes really
work wonders!) We walked through a lot of new features in this tutorial. Not just the Rectangle
tool, but also the alignment and distribution options that are a part of the object Selection tool,
grouping and renaming objects, and a nifty shortcut for changing the properties of several
objects at once. Maybe the Brown Can Company’s organizational chart isn’t the most exciting
piece of design you or I have ever created, but the skill sets and features will come in handy
over and over again. Here’s another example of how some simple rectangles can really add
dimension to a design.
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Using the Rectangle Tool
Next Steps:
From Org Charts to scrapbook layouts to process
diagrams to Web sites to unique drawings and
paintings, Paint Shop Pro 9’s new Rectangle Tool —
the one that has subpixel precision placement controls
and that makes a lot more than boxes — is a great
design partner. Add in the alignment and distribution
tools and you’ve got some very useful new features to
give you real power to create.
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Using the Rectangle Tool
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